Flyin'
by Thepopcornpup
Summary: "A smirk appeared on Jack's face. 'You know, the worst that's probably gonna happen to ya is you'll be all loopy from the medicine they give ya. That'll be entertaining.'" In which Crutchie is put on laughing gas and is left in Jack's care. (Modern AU) (One-Shot) (Way too fluffy.)


**Author's Note: Hello! I was in a Jack and Crutchie mood (let's face it, when am I not?) and I had a pretty bad day, so I wrote a sickeningly fluffy thing to satisfy my Jack and Crutchie needs and to cheer myself up. So, yeah. There's loads of fluff. You've been warned.**

 **Note: I don't know how accurate I got his reaction to the medicine. For some reason, I am incredibly tolerant to medicine. When I got a root canal, they had me on an extremely high anti-anxiety pill meant to knock me out and laughing gas, but I only felt slightly drowsy. So, hopefully, this is accurate to what it's like when you don't have a super high tolerance. (However, I know I got the root canal pain correct. They hurt!)**

 **That's all for now! Thanks for reading! Like always, reviews make me happy! I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

"Mmph," Crutchie frowned and poked his tooth with his tongue. "Mmph, mmph, mmmph...ow!"

"Stop messin' with your tooth," Jack scolded, elbowing his friend. "Didn't you just tell me it hurt like hell?"

"Yeah," Crutchie said, still poking his tooth. "But, it's gonna hurt more tomorrow."

"Ah, you'll be fine," Jack chuckled. "I mean, you're Crutchie Morris. If you can take on that leg of yours, you can take on a root canal."

Crutchie grinned at Jack half-heartedly. Then, he stood up,pausing for a moment to feel the cool New York air on his face. "Thanks. I should be gettin' to bed, though. Night, Jack. See you in the mornin'?"

Jack looked up from his drawing for a moment to glance at Crutchie, whose face was etched with worry, as it had been all evening. "Of course. I'm the one takin' ya there, after ya tomorrow, Crutch."

Crutchie smirked as left the roof and saluted Jack. "See ya."

Jack saluted Crutchie back with one more encouraging smile before turning back to his sketchbook. Crutchie had spent the whole evening refusing to admit how nervous he was for his dentist's appointment the next day.

"Technically, it's an endodontist," Crutchie had corrected when Jack had called it a dentist's appointment. "And, anyway, I suppose I'm lucky. If it weren't for Kloppman, I probably woulda done nothin' about my tooth, and that'd be no good. But, he actually paid for this, and that ain't cheap, so I better be grateful."

"You got every right to be scared, though," Jack assured him. "Not that you won't be fine, though." A smirk appeared on his face as he added, "You know, the worst that's probably gonna happen to ya is you'll be all loopy from the medicine they give ya. That'll be entertaining."

Crutchie grinned and rolled his eyes. "Whatever you do, don't put me on YouTube."

"Aw, come on!" Jack feigned disappointment. "You could be the next viral sensation!"

Crutchie chuckled and shook his head. "No thanks."

Jack had patted him on the back and said, "Trust me, Crutch, you'll be a-okay."

* * *

"Morris, Andrew?"

Crutchie's nervous foot-tapping stopped immediately as he looked up, fear crossing his freckled features.

"You'll be fine," Jack gave Crutchie an encouraging smile.

"For sure?" Crutchie asked, biting his lip.

"For sure," Jack echoed.

With that, the two made their way to the front desk. The clerk looked at Jack curiously. "Are you his guardian?" She asked. "You look quite young, sir."

"Eh, kind of?" Jack offered. "His bills and stuff are probably marked under Kloppman, that's our group home director, but he's got a ton of other boys to look after, so I'm here in his place. I'm almost eighteen, though, Miss, plus I already got the papers signed by him."

The clerk nodded understandingly. "Well, if you've got the papers, that should work just fine, then."

"Wait, what kinda papers did he have to sign?" Crutchie asked, trying to hide his anxious tone.

"Just some legal things, Mr. Morris," The clerk answered.

Crutchie nodded, and quickly said, "Yeah, right, legal stuff, I knew that. Just boring, legal stuff, of course, it don't have anything to do with this procedure bein' dangerous."

The clerk laughed good-naturedly. "You're in good hands, Andrew. Don't worry."

"I ain't worried!" Crutchie shoved a grin on his face. "No, ma'am, not me! I'se just, uh, reassurin' Jack here."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Remind me never to let you become an actor."

* * *

Jack sat in the waiting room, twiddling his thumbs as he awaited Crutchie's arrival. He had to admit, Crutchie's nerves may or may not have rubbed off on him, so he was now quite antsy as watched the clock.

"Mr. Kelly?"

Jack looked up, relieved to see them walking Crutchie in. "Crutchie!" He grinned, jogging over to his friend.

Crutchie blinked several times as he looked at Jack, before his face turned up in a smirk. "Hey there, Jack!"

"He did a great job," The nurse announced. "Now, he's probably going to be a little out of it for the next few hours, but once the medicine wears off, give him Ibuprofen and allow him to ice his face."

"Will do,Miss," Jack said, taking Crutchie's arm and heading out. "Thank you!"

Crutchie wobbled on his feet, looking down and stepping very carefully. His features turned up in another grin as he said, his words muffled by the cotton in his mouth, "Everythin's all...spinny, Jack."

"Yeah, I'm sure it is," Jack replied, giving his friend an amused look.

Crutchie tripped over his crutch suddenly, and Jack caught him just before he hit the ground. After the initial shock wore off, Crutchie broke out into giddy laughter.

Jack couldn't help but laugh, too. "You need some help there, bud?" He offered. "I can carry ya if you wa-"

"No!" Crutchie cut him off firmly. As Jack eased him upright again, he looked over at the older boy, blinking rapidly. "No way. Ain't no one carryin' me...never!"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Even all drugged-up, you'se gotta be Mr. Independent, huh?"

Crutchie nodded. "I got this." He announced, scrunching his face up with determination.

Jack laughed again and the two made their way outside. It took a while, but they eventually got to the car and began on their way back to their home.

Crutchie was silent for most of the ride, staring intently at the dashboard. Jack gave him a sideways glance. "You okay, pal?"

"If-if we woke up with, with, like, superpowers," He began slowly in a serious tone. "Do ya think that-that we'd, we would _all_ be able to fly? Or like, only _some_ people could, like celebrities?" He paused before adding, "I bet Idina Menzel would be able to fly. She's cool like that."

Jack felt a grin spread across his face. "I dunno, Crutchie. What do you think?"

Crutchie looked deep in thought. He thought hard before responding, "I think that like...you could only fly if you _believe_ you can fly."

"Like in _Peter Pan?"_ Jack asked, bemused.

Crutchie's face lit up. "Yeah! Jus' like that!" He silent for a moment more before continuing,"Maybe...that's how things are right now, but no one, nobody...no one thinks they can, so-so nobody can! Ya know? I bet we can fly, but none-no, nobody believes that we can."

Jack tried, but ultimately failed, to hide a snigger.

Crutchie frowned. "See, see that's what I mean! You don't believe it, you think I'se jokin', but-but...but...what was I sayin', Jack?"

As they pulled up next to the group home, Jack snuck a glance at Crutchie. "Flyin'?" He prompted.

Crutchie broke out in a huge smile. "Oh, that sounds neat!" He exclaimed. "Yeah, flyin', that would, that'd be cool. That's what I was talkin' about."

Jack shook his head at his delirious friend. "Sure was."

* * *

Once they got inside, Jack helped Crutchie to his bunk. Just before he was going to leave the younger one to rest, Jack heard a laugh from behind him. He turned around to face a massively-grinning Crutchie. "What's so funny?"

Crutchie giggled. "You...ya look so funny."

Jack smirked involuntarily. "What do ya mean?"

"All...all blurry," Crutchie explained, gesturing to Jack. "And the room is still all-all spinny and it's so funny."

"Well, I've been told I look quite good when I'm blurry, for the record," Jack teased, sitting on the edge of Crutchie's bed.

Crutchie let his laughter die out before softly asking, "Can ya tell me about-bout that place?"

"What place?" Jack asked.

"The one with all the buildings," Crutchie slurred,, blinking over and over. "The ones with the clay, ya know? And the paintings you make and the green...ya know, the place?"

"Santa Fe?" Jack grinned.

"That's it!" Crutchie smiled. "Yeah, Santa Fe! I like it when you'se talkin'...talkin' all about that place 'cause when I'm all sad or mad- hey, that rhymed! But-but...when I'se upset, you talk about Santa Fe and then I feel happy. More than happy. Because...it's 'cause I know that you'se gonna keep me safe, 'cause you...ya tell me about Santa Fe, and you don't tell the other boys that much about Santa Fe! And, when we'se talkin' 'bout, about Santa Fe, you tell me the other things that you would never say to anybody else, and I say the things I'd never tell anyone-anyone else, and you never tell the other fellas what I says. So-so, that way, I know you really trust me, so I...I can really trust you. I'se never been able to really trust anyone before, 'cause they all leave. You know that. But, you'se...you'se real different. And, that's just great. So great."

Jack felt a smile- a true, genuine smile- on his face for the first time in a long time. He looked at Crutchie, who smiled back hopefully. Laying back on the pillow next to Crutchie, he began, "Alright, I'm gonna need ya to close your eyes."

Crutchie obliged eagerly.

"Good," Jack responded, closing his eyes, too. "Now, come with me to a place where it's clean and green and pretty, and they went and made a city outta clay." He continued painting the city for Crutchie with his words until he felt a weight on his shoulder. Jack looked down to see that Crutchie was out cold, using Jack as his pillow. Jack smirked and muttered, "Maybe if ya dream hard enough, you can fly to Santa Fe."

* * *

Crutchie woke up to a heavy aching in his mouth. He groaned and rolled over, ready to attempt to sleep again, when his eyes landed upon a bowl of ice cream and a note on his nightstand. Smiling softly, he picked up the note and read,

 _"Crutchie,_

 _I didn't put you on YouTube. You totally would have gone viral, though; you were hilarious. Sorry I couldn't stay with you, I had to go get the schoolwork we missed. (The next time Mr. Pulitzer says I'm irresponsible, show him this!) But, the nurse said to ice your mouth, so I brought you some ice cream, 'cause, hey, it's got the word " ice" in it._

 _-Jack"_

Below that, Jack had doodled a small, smiling boy with a crutch and word bubble that said, "Flyin' sounds neat!"

Crutchie shook his head and grinned. He was just about to roll over and go back to sleep when he noticed a little more text at the bottom.

 _"P.S. I bet you don't remember any of the stuff you said about Santa Fe, but, if you do, thanks."_

Before going back to sleep, Crutchie quickly jotted down on the back of the note,

 _"I don't remember anything I said, but if it was about Santa Fe, I meant every word."_


End file.
